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hmmm...

Got past the weird port error, but now...
Cable problemo...

According to this...
and this...
I made my connector completely right but completely wrong by pic # 2. I counted the pins on the top (12) and 13 on the bottom (db25) in his pic. According to the pinout, there are only supposed to be resistors @ pin 2,3,4 and 13, and pins 20 and 25 connected (ground) with a common wire. OK. Now on my db25, the 12 pins, when on top, are pins 14-25, from left to right. judging by his connector, since his 3 resistors are on the bottom left, the pins on his go from 1-13 on the bottom, right to left, and 14-25 on top, right to left. On mine, it is 1-13, LEFT TO RIGHT, and 14-25, LEFT TO RIGHT on top. Are db25 connectors for older serial cables labeled differently than for parallel ports? At first seeing the chip detection error, I thought "i'll check my cable". And I looked at his connector and HOLY CRAP mine is reversed. Im just ticked right now so im gonna maybe change my pinout to match his db25 tonight, or some other night. Im working on HW tomorrow so I might not mess wit it then. I didn't connect pins 1 and 11, as he said they are un-needed.
Any clue why we would have differently labeled pinouts on our db25's, besides maybe mine being for serial, his for parallel? I thought all db25's were standard.
Thanks,
Chuck

yes, you could cancel reading. btw, most of the time during the reading is spent in the code, which shows you fancy progress messages... You could change the code, so it will output progress every 256 bytes, not 16 as it doing now.

might be my parallel port

What tests can I run in Knoppix to verify my parallel port is running?
No lp module is loaded. After updating cable to match Sveasoft's, I get the same error (and the pwr WAS on the router). Otherwise, it should have worked. My mobo is an Nforce2, and I don't know if knoppix would have fits with it or not.

Very intrested

I am very intrested in this, dont have a jtag cable though. Hm, if flashing from WinCE were possible... This default Microsoft firmware just seems too buggy right now, it keeps freezing using bittorent or emule or something that creates lots of load for a long time. This work is truely wonderful :P

You need to build cable yourself, it's extremely cheap...
I do not have any plans to play with WinCE and original loader, this requires to much time and I do not have this unit at all. The only problem is that MS loader uses 192k of flash, while we're using 256k, so I'm not sure if MS firmware will accept larger loader image (this is the only part which needs to written, once done it will flash firmware itself).
Finally, the device is now works with WL-500g firmware. I've also prepared new bootloader image, which should be flashed via JTAG using Linux. I will post instructions later, including some info required to make application above to work with Macronix flash chip used in the MN-700.
To make this work I've remotely controlled guy, owning this unit, which has build jtag cable and gathered required info. So, now it just works. He has about 7 units, which would be flashed this way.
BTW, mn-700 is the most inexpensive unit in the USA ($35), which is based on the broadcom reference design and it could work with linux based firmwares now.

WOoo

I bought this router because it was cheap, and used that broadcom chipset! Now does that bootloader stuff interfere with the working of the router while being updated with the JTAG? Well, I'm a novice at using JTAG cables and such, from what i've seen only it looks like serial port things (lack of better terms). Do you need special hardware, or just a PC a cable and the router. Also, if this firmware works, and it works well, will it be periodically updated, or just a one time flash and thats what you got. Sorry for all the questions, but I like information that I dont know, and it may come to benefit me :P

Now does that bootloader stuff interfere with the working of the router while being updated with the JTAG? Well, I'm a novice at using JTAG cables and such, from what i've seen only it looks like serial port things (lack of better terms). Do you need special hardware, or just a PC a cable and the router.

no special hardware required, just read pdf from the zip in the openwrt link above. Yes, you need PC with parallel port, cable and the router.

Also, if this firmware works, and it works well, will it be periodically updated, or just a one time flash and thats what you got. Sorry for all the questions, but I like information that I dont know, and it may come to benefit me :P

Yes, once you upgrade bootloader, you will then be able to use ANY ASUS WL-500g firmware including custom firmwares from this forum.
You need to use JTAG only once to flash bootloader. The bootloader itself is able to flash ANY firmware. Once done - you will have everything.

Cool

Alright thats about all I need to know, well I also wonder if the extra features like print server and webcam server will mess anything up, since the MN700 does not support that. I guess I'll just wait for instructions on how to do this! If not too much trouble too, if someone could post where to connect the jtag and how to make it, that'd help me, I'd like to say it'd help others too, but I maybe just misinformed! I do see some jtag stuff at the beginning of the thread, but naturally, I dont really understand some of it, only the basic concept, of cable to router, you run linux like knoppix. Soldering required?

Why not? All you need is a usb port(chips are the same), and maybe some minor mods. I remember reading the BCM4702 nativley supports USB. It might be as simple as soldering four wires to the board The mass storage aspect is quite appealing.
Anyway, I haven't tried to read the flash under Knoppix again. I don't see anything wrong with my cable, so I might try a true linux distro (or different computer??). If anyone knows a trick or two, let me know. My router is fine, it works still (but it STILL has windows on it) : ]

Oleg...thanks for the info! On your cable, is your VCC and TRST connected with a resistor? (pins 1 and 11 on JTAG, right?) I made mine without. Problem? I might have to wait for the detailed step by step
At least I feel like I have contributed a bit to the cause.

Excellent work!

Originally Posted by Intelman

Alright thats about all I need to know, well I also wonder if the extra features like print server and webcam server will mess anything up, since the MN700 does not support that, my guess is if you dont use it, it wont mess anything up! I guess I'll just wait for instructions on how to do this! If not too much trouble too, if someone could post where to connect the jtag and how to make it, that'd help me, I'd like to say it'd help others too, but I maybe just misinformed!

I did post the pinout for the jtag and serial. You should be able to make it just by looking at the picture and matching it up with the pinout. (what I had to do, as my db25 was labeled differently than the pinout for the db25 indicated)